Noonan and Revenue need to return pension top-up tax to the friends of CRC - Doherty

Sinn Féin Finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty has
called on Minister for Finance Michael Noonan to direct the Revenue
Commissioner to return any tax paid on former CEO Paul Kiely's bumper golden
handshake.

Doherty said the money had come straight from the
parents and supporters of the children who use the centre and the decent thing
would be to return the money for the benefit of the children.

Deputy Doherty said:

"Paul Kiely received this golden handshake in
June last year. If he was a PAYE worker he would have paid tax on €273,336
taxable part of the payout immediately. If he were self-employed, he would have
had to have fulfilled his legal obligations and paid preliminary tax on that
sum for 2014 in October of last year. The tax payable on that amount would be
anywhere in the region of €130,000.

"This money travelled a circular route - from the
Friends of the CRC, through Mr. Kiely's pockets and into the hands of Revenue.
It was not Mr. Kiely's and it really doesn't belong to the Revenue either. It
belongs to the children who benefit from the hardworking volunteers of the
Friends of the CRC.

"If the Government is as shocked and appalled as
they have made out they are, they should not only try to reclaim the bulk of
the sum left with Mr. Kiely, but they should do the decent thing and make sure
the Revenue give this money back to the children who need it. This money was
raised in collection buckets and fundraisers for months - it was not meant to
end up as tax on somebody's €700,000 pension pay-off."